Screen for corn shellers



1,461,144 R. E. HANNEMAN SCREEN FOR CORN SHELLERS I Filed Sept. 9, 19202 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 10, 1923. EAQLMM R. E. HANNEMAN SCREEN FOR CORNSHELLERS Filed Sept. 9, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I ooqooopgpgoopqo nnmofPatented July 10, 1923.

D :S TAT ES 'RIGHARD;E.VHAN1\T E.MAN; OF EAST MOLINE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOBT DEERE & COM- PANY, OE MOLINE, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SCREEN FOR CORN SHELLERS.

Application filed September 9,1920. Serial No. 409,048.

" that:such-kernels have been separated from are: otherwisevremoved fromthe surface of the I screen. .Inumachines of this character itis commonto provide such screening devices withs means 'iior 'preventing some ofthe shelled corn frompassing oif'atthe end of the screenwith thecobs-due to the oscillating and vibratingofthe screen, instead ofpassing-throughtheholes of thescreem-as intended. Such means forpreventing the 2 escape of some of the kernels are in the form-of:-cross -=pieces on the faceof the screen adjecent-to'that' end-atwhich the cobs leave the screen an d, :soiaras I- am aware, suchcross+pieces-or dams as they are usually ternied have been fixed inposition. Such "fixe'drposition ofthese dams has been foundunsatistactory for the reason that if the screen is vibrated-attoo-greatwaspeed quite an amount of the shelled corn will not have time'oropportunity 'to escape through the screen openings but will be carriedover-such damswithth'e cobsand be lost. On the otherhand if the screenis vibrated at too slow aspeed the cobs will fail to be prop- 4oerly-carried' overthe dams and will accumulate on the screen and thusact to detract from the efliciency-offthe screen with respect topermitting the kernels-of corn to drop through thesereenropenings. It isthe object of my invention to so improve the i said screeningmemberthat-the-dams referredto --may -be: adjusted to: and :heldin-"difierentan- :gular positions with respect-to tliesurfaoe of thescreen; so thattheymay act *properlyand veitectively as toibcth theshelled corn and thecobs regafidlessxof-thespeed with which the screen is vibrated.Other'obj ectsiof the invention rare-tease "construct and arrange theseveral dams-with such screen will '55 ordinarily be provided that theywill have most one.

connection with a commonactuating device soi-that they-may besimultaneously adjusted, and also to so construct them that in-eachadjustment one dam will varyfromanother dam with respect to the degreeof angularity that .it projects from the scree-ns surface,-Ithe-attaining ofthe last-named objectbeingdesirable because of thefact that in view of the manner in which the screenis pivotallyhung theamount of up and down swingingmovement of the outerend thereof is lessthantowards its other end, and consequently it=isdesirable that theheight of'the dams diminish from the innermostto the outer- I attain theobjects'specified by the construction and arrangement of partshereinafter more particularly described.

In the drawings,-

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a well-known type ofpower-operated corn sheller, the uppermostvibrating screen of which isprovided with my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of a screen embodying myimprovements;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken at line 83 of Fig; 2 and showingthe dams adjusted to their lowest position;

Fig. 4; is a view similar to 'Fig. 3 but showing the dams raised. totheir highest position; and

Fig. 5 is an end view of the means for adjusting and: locking the damsin their dif ferent positions.

Referring tothedraavings, and particularly now to Fig. 1 wherein isshown a power-operated corn-sheller of a'Well-lmown make, the followingis a brief description of so much of the machine as; is necessary to-aclear understanding of the advantages attained by the use of myimproved: screen in such a machine; 10'indioates' the body of theshelling machine supported as usual by wheels 10. The corn tobe shelledis elewhichin turn isdriven througha pulleylti that will bebelt-connected with a-suitable source of 'power,-su,ch as atractoryforexample. after passing through the shelling'means' 13,

Thecorn, the cobs and'the husks all drop onto an upper" screen-17- which8111- bodies my improvements that will be particularly describedhereinafter. Such screen is suspended in the body 10 by links 18 thathave pivotal connection at 19 with such body and at 20 with the screen,and because of the fact that the links near the outermost end of thescreen are a little longer than the other links the up and down movementof the outer end of the screen is less than its other end when suchscreen is vibrated as usual. The screen is given the required vibratingand oscillating movements in the construction shown, through a pitman 21pivotally connected at one end to the screen and at its other end to aneccentric 22 mounted on a shaft 23. On this shaft is also mounted a gear24L that is driven from the gear mechanism 15. 25 indicates the usuallower screen with which machines of this type are provided. It issuspended below the screen 17 by links 26 pivotally attached at theirupper ends at 27 and at their lower ends to said lower screen at 28.This lower screen is moved through a pitman 29 connected to aneccentric, which, like the other eccentric, is mounted on the shaft 28.In each of the screens are a series of openings 31 of a size to permitthe kernels of corn to pass through. Such kernels in passing from thelower screen enter a trough 32 from which they are elevated to the pointof discharge by the usual elevator 33. The husks and cobs that lie uponthe upperscreen 17 are advanced toward the outer end of such screen bythe engagement therewith of the usual inclined spikes 34ron such screen.The husks and lighter particles of material are removed by means of asuction fan 35 but the cobs are kept moving towards the outer end of thescreen and fall from such end into a hopper 36 from whence they arecarried away by the usual elevator 37. 35 indicates the usual blower fanthat is provided for removing any small light particles that may bedeposited with the kernels upon the lower screen 25.

In place of the usual dams that are fixedly carried by the outer endportion of the upper screen 17 and act to retard to some extent thepassage of the cobs toward the discharging end of that screen and thatare intended to entirely prevent corn kernels passing over such end withthe cobs, I have provided a series of adjustable dams that may be set soas to stand at varying angles to the surface of the screen in order thatproper ejection of the cobs may at all times be secured regardless ofwhether the screen is vibrated slowly or rapidly and at the same timewill ensure against the corn kernels being carried over the end of thescreen with the cobs. Each dam, indicated by 38, is formed ofacomparatively long narrow strip and extends transversely across thescreen over the upper surface thereof, the several dams of the serieslying parallel with each other and spaced a short distance apart. Ateach of its ends each dam is hingedly secured to one of the side bars ofthe screen, the hinges, in the construction shown, (see Fig. 2) beinglocated adjacent to the inner or lower edge of the dam so that such edgewill always lie close to the surface of the screen and thus prevent thewedging of any material between the screen and dam. Each dam has securedto its upper face, by riveting as shown or otherwise, an arm formed of astrap of metal that at the lower edge of the dam is bent downwardly andprojects through an opening in the screen, as clearly shown in Figs. 3and 4:, said downwardlyturned portions in effect constituting handles bymeans of which the dams can be turned on their hinges. Said arm membersare indicated by 38; they are secured in place on their respective damsso as to be in alinement with each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 andare preferably arranged substantially midway of the'length of the dams.In the down-turned portion 39 of each arm, in the construction shown, isa hole, and as such holes are in alinement with each other provision isthus made for connecting the several members 3839 together by a rodextending through the holes. Such a rod is indicated by 40, and as shownit is connected with each downwardly-turned portion 39 by means of two'cotter-pins 41 passing through the rod at opposite sides of thepart 39.At its outer end the rod 40 is supported in a bracket 42 secured to theend rail of the screen. A wing nut 43 on the screw-threaded end of therod furnishes the means by which the rod 40 can be adjustedlongitudinally, and, as will be understood, the extent to which the rodis so adjusted will determine the degree to which the dams will be swungup or down.

As clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4: the bends given to the metal straps38 39 are different one from the other, the result being that each damis at all times held at a slightly different angle than the angle of anyother dam, and they are so arranged on the screen that the innermostdamstands at the greatest angle to the screen and the outermost one atthe lowest angle,-in other words, the angles at which the dams standprogressively decreases from the innermost to the outermost dam.

By my improvements the dams can be easily, quickly, accurately andsimultaneously shifted to stand with respect to the surface of thescreen in such positions as best enable them to perform their statedfunctions under the varying speeds that may be imported to the screen.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l, The combination with a vibratory screen, of a plurality of damsspaced a distance apart and extending over the surface of the screen andprojecting from such surface at different angles, and means for varyingthe angular position of the dams while maintaining them at differentangles relatively to each other.

2. The combination with a vibratory screen, of a plurality of damsconnected together and spaced a distance apart and extending over thesurface of the screen and projecting from such surface at differentangles, and means for simultaneously varying the angular position of thedams while maintaining them at different angles relatively to eachother. i

3. The combination with a vibratory screen, of'a series of dams spaced adistance apart and extending over the surface of the screen andprojecting from such surface at different inclinations, the degree ofinclination of the dams varying progressively from one end of the seriestothe other.

4. The combination with a vibratory screen,'of a series of dams spaced adistance apart and extending over the surface of the screen andprojecting from such surface at different inclinations, the degree ofinclination of the dams varying progressively from one end of the seriesto the other, and means for varying the inclination of each dam whilemaintaining the said progrcssive variation in inclination.

,5. The combination with a vibratory screen, of a series of damsconnected together and spaced a distance apart, said dams extending overthe surface of the screen and projecting from such surface at difierentinclinations, the degree of inclination of the dams varyingprogressively from one end of the series to the other, and means forsimultaneously varying the inclination of each dam while maintaining thesaid progressive variation in inclination.

6. The combination with a vibratory screen, of a plurality of pivoteddams spaced a distance apart and extending over the sur face of thescreen, a member secured to each dam and projecting through the screen,each of said projecting portions of such members being inclined at adifferent angle to the surface of the screen, a longitudinallymovablerod connected with said differentlyinclined projecting portions, andmeans for adjustably connecting said rod with the screen frame.

7. The combination with a vibratory screen, of a plurality of pivoteddams spaced a distance apart and extending over the surface of thescreen, a member secured to each dam and projecting through the screen,each of said projecting portions of such members being inclined at adifferent angle to the surface of the screen, the inclination of saidportions varying progressively, a

longitudinally-movable rod connected with said differently-inclinedprojecting portions to maintain them and the dams that they arerespectively connected with in said progressively-inclined positions,and means for adjfustably connecting said rod with the screen rame.

RICHARD E. HANNEMAN.

